Improvement in boat-detaching apparatus



J. PATTERSON.

BOAT-DETACHING APPARATUS.

Pafenteabec. 7,1875.

'UNTTED STATES PATENT OFFICES.

JAMES PATTERSON, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

IMPROVEMENT lN BOAT-DETACHING APPARATUS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 170,892, dated December 7,1875; application filed i October 20, 1875.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES PATTERSON, of Washington city, in the District of Columbia, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Attaching and Detaching Apparatus for Boats 5 and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof', which will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

The object of my invention is to produce a device or apparatus for attaching or detaching boats of vessels in a more expeditious, certain, and secure manner than those now in use. As is well known to those using or having to deal with the devices. for this purpose now in use, they are generally very dangerous as well as unreliable; as in a rough sea, when the vessel as well as the boat is rocking and pitching about, many persons hands and arms are not only dangerously hurt or mangled, but often, when both ends of the boat cannot be detached simultaneously or attached quickly those in such boats are thrown into the sea and lost. To this end my invention consists in a pivoted weighted lever provided with a cam or nosed end, arranged 1n a suitable bracket having an arched or inclined slot in it, forthe reception of a pin in the end of a looped strap attached to the block, by which the boat is held or detached. A pin passing transversely through a lug on the bracket securely holds the weighted lever in position, and can be easily and quickly withdrawn when it is desired to detach the boat. The ends of V the levers are connected together by a rope or chain, the ends of which are securely fastened together by a toggle or other suitble device.

In order that others skilled in the art may make and use my invention, I will now more definitely describe the same, referring to the accompanying drawing, in which- Figure 1 represents part of a boat with my device in position. Fig. 2 isa view of the block for attaching the boat to the davits on the vessel. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the device, partly in section, on line x w. Fig. 4 is a side elevation with the bracket in section. Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the bracket.

ln the drawing, A represents part of a boat, to each end of which a bracket, B, is firmly secured by means of bolts, rivets, or screws, which pass through the holes a.. The bracket consists of a base-plate, b, provided with one or two curved lugs or arms, d d, having suitable eyes in their outer ends, and forming, with the solid lug c, a slot or recess, O, into which the pin of the attaching-block D lits. In the eyes, or between them, is pivoted the weighted lever E by means of the bolt F, which passes through them, and is secured by the nut k. The lever has at its upper end a cam-shaped nose, e, and at its lowerend an eye, f, for the reception of a rope or chain, by which the levers E at each end of the boat are connected together, so that they may be attached or detached when desired. A pin, g, in the curved lugs d, supporting the weighted end of the lever, holds the levers in position when closed, and can be readily withdrawn when desired. The block D has attached to it a curved openended strap or link, G, through which a pin, h, passes and is secured. The pin h may be riveted iu place, or the strap may be closed at its end and rounded, so as to form a pin. This strap maybe of any desired length and size, so that the block can be taken in the hand, and the pin h inserted into the curved slot O without any danger or damage to the hand or arm, as the operation has to be sometimes done instantaneously. In the slot O is further arranged a recess, c', shown in dotted lines in Fig. 4, for the reception of the pin h of the block D, and the lever will then be placed in the position shown in broken lines, to prevent any possible chalice of disconnection, and tirinly locks the block D in its place, as shown.

The operation of my device is as follows: The ping having been inserted in the holes in the curved lugs d, the block D is taken in the hands and the pin h passed into the recess C by pressing ou the cam c, which, when being freed from pressure by the passa-ge of the pin It into the recess, resumes its position and the boat is firmly secured or attached tothe falls for hoisting. After attachingrthe ,boat the ends of the levers E are connected together by acord or chain, K, asshown in dotted lines, Fig. 1, and the pin g removed.

When it is desired to detach the boat before touching the water, the cord or chain K is severed, by which operation the levers turn into the position, as shown in full lines, Fig. 4, which leavesthe curved or inclined slots G open and the pin h is released, allowing the boat to drop into the water. Should theboat reach the waterk before severing the cordel" and detaching boats have been used-Las, for

instance, 'illustrated in the Patentsof F. M.

Munger, April 22. 1873, and W. 1R.l Douglas,

April 28, 18M-but by my apparatus I obviate a difculty'and supplya necessity which is regarded as of importance'in'practical use by seafaring men.

My invention not only provides aireagilyV means of attaching the yhoistingtackle to the boats, but, when necessary to detach theboat,

in case the lanyard or chain which connects together the lower ends otl the levers should foul and refuse to release the said levers, the pin or roller of the block-hook may be depressedcvinto'the curved or inclined slot U, the nose c forced past the mouth of the slot Gand its containing tackle-block pin or roller, and

L thusallow 'a free passage for the tackle-block pin or roller upward and outward from contact with tl1e braclget B.. In this way the movement of the lever E, in combination with the slot C, accomplishes an important result by lessening the chances of the apparatus becoming jammed in 'cases Yof dangerous lemer gency.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. The bracket B, lconsisting of the baseplate b, the lugs d d c, the recess t', and curved o r inclined yslot or recess C, in combination with the lever E, journaled at F, and provided with the cam-shaped'nose e, all combined and 'operating substantially as'and forthe purpose described.

2. In combination with bracket B and lever E, constructed substantiallyasshown, the pin g, as and for 'the purpose described.

.'Infte'stimny'that I' claim the foregoing as my own I herebyax my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JAMES PATTERSON.

Witnesses: v

WM- F. STREAM.- PETER D. WEL'GKER, 

